Technology

Transportation plays a central role in supply chains, whether they are local or global enterprises.

* By John Paxton * For managers of warehouses and distribution centers, the nation’s 3.5% unemployment rate heading into peak ordering season seems downright unfair. Attracting high-quality employees is exceedingly difficult nowadays, and with a wealth of job opportunities available, workers are ready to jump ship if they can make an extra dollar an hour at the company down the ...

While these skills have always had their place in the toolbox of employees and leaders, the need for mastery will be crucial in the new future of work. These are skills that machines cannot replace, at least not yet. * By Maria Leggett * According to the report, “Skill Shift: Automation and the Future of the Workforce,” by the McKinsey ...

Improving the Material Handling Industry Workforce through Digital Representations of Human-Based Operations * By Jesus A. Jimenez * This year, I was part of a group of professors who traveled to Europe to participate in what we designated as the “Industry 4.0 Tour.” We had one goal in mind: to find the latest developments in Industry 4.0. We visited several ...

These nine technological advances are reshaping supply chains, and allowing projects to be completed quicker and with a higher level of accuracy. * By Nick Fortuna * Autonomous Trucking Jason Gillespie is looking forward to a time when autonomous trucks can handle the lonely part of truck driving, the grinding long-haul trips that keep drivers away from their families and ...

Fresh industry faces and sophisticated new tools are making automation a crucial piece of the freight brokerage field. * By Tom Gresham * Spurred on by innovative new industry players and the increasingly ambitious investments in technology by the field’s more traditional companies, freight brokerages have taken a major step toward more fully embracing the digital in their processes, leading ...

Sustainable Supply Chains Making Big Strides Across Multiple Corporations, Industries * By Sara Pearson Specter * Companies worldwide are putting innovation behind their sustainability mandates, deploying technology, collaborations, innovation and partnerships to work both for the preservation of the planet and to enhance their bottom lines. Here are six real-life case studies featuring green solutions implemented across multiple supply chains ...

Supply Chain Sustainability Goes High Tech * By Mary Lou Jay * The promise of improved efficiencies and reductions in operating expenses are usually the major drivers when supply chain companies adopt digital technologies. But there’s another benefit that they should consider. Tech advances like the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing, robotics and blockchain ...

It seems clean energy has finally hit its tipping point. * By Sarah B. Hood * It seems clean energy has finally hit its tipping point. The University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems finds that about 800 U.S. utilities offer renewable-energy options, and in April 2019, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that, for the first time, more electricity ...

What’s Your Level of “Supply Chain Digital Consciousness”? Sixth MHI Annual Industry Report Explores Stages, Growth of Digital Technology Adoption MHISolutionsmag.com—The sixth MHI Annual Industry Report explores the stages and growth of digital technology adoption and, new this year, includes a self-assessment tool for measuring your supply chain digital consciousness index (DCI). * By Carol Miller * After six consecutive ...